Sash balance connector



Jan. 1, 1963 A. R. LARSON SASH BALANCE CONNECTOR Filed Feb. 12, 1960INVEN TOR.

ALVIN R. LARSON Z2 him his ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,070,831 SASHBALANCE CONNECTOR Alvin R. Larson, Stamford, Conn., assignor to S. H.Pomeroy Company, Stamford, Conn., a corporation of New York Filed Feb.12, 1960, Ser. No. 8,376 3 Claims. (Cl. 16-197) has proved to besatisfactory in most circumstances, there has been a need for anadjustable foot mechanism that, while providing similar advantages, issimpler and sturdier in construction and more economical to manufacture.

Accordingly, it is a purpose of this invention to pro- I and bendinwardly until the fiat sides of the coupling 22 vide a foot mechanismfor a spiral sash balance that permits the spring tension of a balanceto be adjusted after the balance has been installed and is veryeconomical to manufacture and sturdily constructed. This purpose isattained by providing an adjustable foot mechanism that includes achannel member that is adapted to be fixedly attached to a window sash,a coupling member that is adapted to be fixedly attached to the spirallywound strip of a sash balance, the channel member having recesses formedtherein adapted to releasably engage the coupling member, and thecoupling member being adapted to cooperate with a tool for disengagingthe coupling member from the channel member.

This invention may be more completely understood from the followingdetailed description of representative embodiments of the inventiontaken in conjunction with the accompanying figures of the drawing inwhich- FIGURE 1 is a view of an adjustable foot mechanism constructed inaccordance with the invention;

FIGURE 2 is an illustration of an adjustable foot mechanism connected toa window sash;

FIGURE 3 is a view taken along the line 33 of FIG- URE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a view taken along the line of 4-4 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 5 is a top view of an adjustable foot mechanism; and

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view of a channel member for an adjustablefo-ot mechanism.

With reference to FIGURES l and 2, there is illustrated a U-shapedchannel member 11 that has an elongated recess 12 formed in each sideand a book 13 formed at the mouth of each recess. A foot plate 14fashioned on the bight portion of the channel member 11 has an upturnedtooth 15 formed at its ends. A plurality of holes 16 are provided in thefoot plate 14 and in the bight portion of the channel so that nails 17can be driven through them and into a wooden sash 18 as illustrated inFIGURE 2.

As is best shown in FIGURES 1 and 2, a sash balance having a footmechanism constructed in accordance with the invention is mounted on awindow by first attaching the upper end of a member that includes aspiral spring 19, a spirally wound strip 20, and a nut 21 to a windowframe as explained in the aforementioned Patent No. 2,792,588. Thechannel member 11 is attached to the lower end of the window sash aspreviously explained and the strip 20 is releasably coupled to thechannel member 11 by a spring coupling 22, shown in greater detail inFIGURES 3 and 4.

Patented Jan. 1, 1963 The spring coupling 22 is U-shaped and is adaptedto be received within the recesses 12 in the channel member 11, and ahole 23 isformed in each side of the coupling which is adapted toreceive a hollow rivet 24. Each side of the coupling 22 has an outwardlyextending spring portion 25 formed thereon by cutting slots 26 into itand bending the portion 25 outwardly. As is best shown in FIGURES 2 and4, the coupling 22 is attached to the member 11 by forcing the coupling22 upwardly into the recesses 12 in the member until the lower end ofthe straight sides of the coupling catches on the inwardly extendinghooks 13. The force of the spring portions 25 of the coupling againstthe walls of the recesses maintains the coupling in position.

To disengage the coupling 22 from the member 11 for the purpose ofadjusting the pull produced by the sash balance, a tool 27 that isturned over on one end 28 is inserted into the hole in the rivet24 andtwisted in the direction indicated by the arrow in FIGURE 1. With thechannel member 11 being heldstationary, the spring portions 25 areforced against the walls of the recesses 12 "ice disengage from thehooks 13. Then the coupling 22 can be withdrawn from the recesses 12 andthe tension produced by the sash balance adjusted prior to reinsertingthe coupling back into the recesses 12.

An alternative method of fastening a channel member 11 to a window sashis illustrated in FIGURE 5 and may be desirable where the sash is madeof metal. The member 11 is formed with at least one hole 29 in its bightportion through which metal screws 30 are inserted and threaded into ametal window sash 31. The window sash is illustrated in FIGURE 5 incombination with a window pane 32 and a sealing material 33. The channelmember 11 does not have a foot plate 14 and tooth 15 but is otherwiseexactly the same as the type shown in FIGURES l-4. Two holes 34 formedin the sides of the member 11 are provided for convenience so that themember can also be attached to a window sash by inserting screws ornails through these holes.

FIGURE 6 illustrates both embodiments of the channel member 11 with thefoot plate 14 and tooth 15 being shown in phantom.

It is apparent that a novel and useful adjustable foot mechanism for aspiral sash balance has been provided. This type of foot mechanismprovides a simple, sturdy and economical method of releasably attachingthe spirally formed strip to the channel member 11 in such a manner thatit can be easily connected to and disengaged from the receptacle member11.

While representative embodiments of the present invention have beenshown and described for purposes of illustration, it is apparent thatthe embodiments are susceptible of change and modification withoutdeparting fromthe scope of the invention in its broader aspects.Therefore, the invention described herein is not to be construed aslimited to the specific embodiments described, but is intended toencompass all modifications thereof coming within the scope of thefollowing claims.

I claim: I

1. An adjustable foot mechanism for a spiral sash balance extendingalong the side of a window sash comprising a first member adapted to beaffixed to a window sash and having a portion extending generallyparallel to the side of the sash, said portion having an open-ended slottherein, said slot having a hook at the open end thereof projectinggenerally perpendicularly to the extent of the slot, and a second memberattached to the spirally wound strip of a sash balance, said secondmember being adapted to be received in said slot formed in said firstmember through the open end thereof by motion parallel to the side ofthe window sash, said second member having a spring portion formedthereon which is adapted to force said second member into engagementwith the sides of said slot inside said hook so as to lock said secondmember longitudinally into said slot of said first member.

2. An adjustable foot mechanism for a spiral sash balance extendingalong the side of a window sash comprising a first member adapted to beaflixed to a window sash and having a portion extending generallyparallel to the side of the sash, said portion being generally U-shaped,each leg of said portion having an open-ended slot therein, each slothaving a hook at the open end thereof projecting generallyperpendicularly to the extent of the slot, and a second member adaptedto be attached to the spirally wound strip of a sash balance, saidsecond member being adapted to be received in said slots formed in saidfirst member through the open ends thereof by motion parallel to theside of the window sash, said second member having a spring portionformed thereon which is adapted to force said second member intoengagement with the sides of said slots inside said hooks so as to locksaid second member longitudinally into said slots of said first member.

3. A-spiral sash balance comprising a spirally wound strip adapted toextend along the side of a window sash, means in cooperative engagementwith said strip in which torsional force may be stored, a first memberadapted to be aflixed to a window sash and having a portion extendinggenerally parallel to the side of a sash, said portion having two spacedopen-ended slots therein, said slots having oppositely directed hooks atthe open ends thereof each projecting generally perpendicularly to theextent of the corresponding slot in a direction opposite to thetorsional forces normally exerted by said first-mentioned means, asecond member attached to the spirally wound strip, the second memberbeing adapted to be received in said slots through the open ends thereofby motion parallel to the extent of the slots and having spaced apartspring means formed thereon forcing the second member into engagementwith the sides of the slots inside the hooks when the second member isso received so as to lock said second member longitudinally into saidslots, said spring means being arranged to urge said second member inthe same rotational direction as the direction in which said spirallywound strip is normally urged.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,580,705 Tappan Jan. 1, 1952 2,622,267 Peremi Dec. 23, 1952 2,774,100Larson et al Dec. 18, 1956 2,792,588 Gency May 21, 1957

1. AN ADJUSTABLE FOOT MECHANISM FOR A SPIRAL SASH BALANCE EXTENDINGALONG THE SIDE OF A WINDOW SASH COMPRISING A FIRST MEMBER ADAPTED TO BEAFFIXED TO A WINDOW SASH AND HAVING A PORTION EXTENDING GENERALLYPARALLEL TO THE SIDE OF THE SASH, SAID PORTION HAVING AN OPEN-ENDED SLOTTHEREIN, SAID SLOT HAVING A HOOK AT THE OPEN END THEREOF PROJECTINGGENERALLY PERPENDICULARLY TO THE EXTENT OF THE SLOT, AND A SECOND MEMBERATTACHED TO THE SPIRALLY WOUND STRIP OF A SASH BALANCE, SAID SECONDMEMBER BEING ADAPTED TO BE RECEIVED IN SAID SLOT FORMED IN SAID FIRSTMEMBER THROUGH THE OPEN END THEREOF BY MOTION PARALLEL TO THE SIDE OFTHE WINDOW SASH, SAID SECOND MEMBER HAVING A SPRING PORTION FORMEDTHEREON WHICH IS ADAPTED TO FORCE SAID SECOND MEMBER INTO ENGAGEMENTWITH THE SIDES OF SAID SLOT INSIDE SAID HOOK SO AS TO LOCK SAID SECONDMEMBER LONGITUDINALLY INTO SAID SLOT OF SAID FIRST MEMBER.